In Spider-man Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) was transformed by the bite of a genetically recombined spider from a geeky nice-guy loser into superhero Spider-man. Fighting off his first enemy, The Green Goblin, who turned out to be his best friends father he ended up making some enemies and having to give up MJ, the love of his life.

In Spider-man 2, Peter is struggling with the pressures of juggling work, college, friends and the lifestyle of being a superhero - when the scientist he is studying becomes fused to some seemingly evil mechanical arms whilst trying to achieve a renewable fusion reaction. After thwarting Doc Ocks second attempt at this reaction and having him almost destroy New York he finally wins the heart of MJ who runs out of her own wedding to be with him. It is at this point that Harry, his best mate learns who his nemesis, Spider-man really is.

So here, after two excellent and well made films we come at last to Sam Raimis final installment of Spider-man.

Things are going very well for Spider-man, he has got the girl, New Yorkers love him and are giving him the key to the city and its all started to go to his head. Though clueless about how self involved he has become he decides to ask MJ to marry him.

Harry has been planning his revenge and is about to strike. MJ, despite a dazzling performance on Broadway ends up panned by the critics and working in a Jazz cafe. The real culprit of Uncle Bens murder has escaped from prison and following a bizarre accident becomes the Sand-man, bent on raising enough money to help his sick daughter, by any means possible.

As if that werent enough, Peter wakes up one morning hanging from a building wearing a black version of his own suit - but all too soon the suit changes not just the colour of Spideys outfit but also Peters character.

In one hilarious but well made montage. we see the now emo Peter Parker swaggering down the street as if he owned it all - as if he were the man. The funnier thing though are the looks on the faces of the women he walks past.

I really enjoyed this film and although it did seem like theyd tried to squeeze a tad too much in, especially considering the popularity of Venom. I was worried that it was going to become too dark but I neednt have worried, it still had that light hearted streak running right the way through it - and yet still managed to get the mood right for Peters dark side.

Unlike Revenge of the Sith, Peters turn to the dark side was totally in keeping with who he was and it didnt take too long before he worked it all out and poor Eddie Brock (Eric from That 70s Show) became the second inhabitant of the suit.

Fans of Venom will probably find his character rushed a little, but for me the fact that it is a symbiotic organism from space that seems to amplify aggression is as much as I need to know. Though Duncan did make a good point about the physics professors acceptance of what is essentially the first alien species ever encountered.

This is one I will see again and will be getting on DVD. It had romance, it had action, it had comedy, it had a good plot. You should see this!

see also:
Spider-man, Spider-man 2, Iron Man, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

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photo © Columbia Pictures.